The Test Expert's Role in DevOps

DevOps is a culture shift that emphasizes collaboration between software developers and other IT professionals while automating software delivery and infrastructure changes. It aims to establish an environment where building, testing, and releasing software can happen more rapidly, frequently, and reliably. Many see DevOps as an extension to agile. In this session, Mike Sowers suggests that for those in testing roles, we may still be running to keep up in order to contribute in an agile context, and DevOps just adds to that pressure. But we can and should still strive to contribute significantly. What are the expectations for the test expert's role in DevOps? Join Mike as he discusses the key challenges and opportunities for testing experts to participate in DevOps. He will share his experiences and make observations and recommendations for how testing roles should prepare for the transition to DevOps, what skills and attributes are useful, and some likely hurdles to overcome. You will learn some practical ways that test experts can quickly contribute to value streams and the continuous delivery pipeline.

Coveros' Executive Vice President of Training Mike Sowers has more than twenty-five years of practical experience as a global leader of internationally distributed test teams across multiple industries. Mike is a senior leader, skilled in working with both large and small organizations to improve their software development, testing, and delivery approaches. He has worked with companies—including Fidelity Investments, PepsiCo, FedEx, Southwest Airlines, Wells Fargo, ADP, and Lockheed—to improve development approaches, increase software quality, reduce time to market, and decrease costs. With his passion for helping teams deliver software faster, better, and cheaper, Mike has mentored and coached senior software leaders, small teams, and direct contributors worldwide.